Thumb-rest for violins and similar musical instruments.



C. HAMLIN. THUMB REST FOR VIOLINS AND SIMILAR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 5. 1914.

1,144,194. Patented June 22, 1915.

- 1'. THE NORRIS PETERS CO" PHQTO-LITNO" WASHINGTON. D

v PA ENT oFFIoE.

cYnusHAMLIN, ornnw YORK, 1v. Y.

drIIuMia nEsrlFoR v'IoLINsAND SIMILAR MUSICAL msraunmvrsj 1 To all whom it may concern York Be it known that I, CYRUS HAMLIN, aciti- I Zen oftheUnited States, anda residentof the city of s New York, borough of Brooklyn,

inytli'ei county "of Kings and; State of" New iIi eWiittnCl improved thumb rest; for; violins i and si'mila'r' musicat instruments arranged to perrnit the player toll'readily finger the 'strings 'forhigh notes at thesametiine permittingi holding the fingers incorrect, positionl-for'pressing the strings forcibly down onto the finger board. a

In order toaccompllsh the desired result i use is' m'ade'ofathumb rest arrangegl on the frontend of the body to one side of the neck oftheviolin and adjacent to the faceaof the body' to' allow the thumb of the fingering [hand ofthe player to readily pass from the "neck under the said thumb rest to partially support the-instrument and from the thumb rest back onto theneckL practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanyingjdrawing forming'a part of this specification; in

I so

which similar characters of reference .i-ndicate corresponding parts in all the views;

Figure l is a plan view of: the thumb rest as applied to aviolin, parts beingshown in section Fig; 2 .i's acrosssection of the same, on theline 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a sec- .tional sideelevation of the thumb rest; Fig.

I 4 is'a plan View of a modified form of they thumb rest as applied to a-violin; and Fig.

5 isa side ele 7 tion of the thumb rest shown- I The thumb rest illustrated in Figs; "1,--2=

and3 is in the'form of-aplate Ai located at thelforward end of the body Bjof the violin adjacent'toone side of the neck C of the violin-so that the player can readily pass the thumb from the under side of the neck to the-under side of theplate-A to allow it the player, to reach with the fingers ontothe sure on thestrings than if the end' of the I a v invented'a new and Improved jThuinbRest for Violins and Similar Mm .sic'al- Instruments, of whichfthe following is V plate A or back from the latter to the v Patented June22,1915. r Ii i tnc t n iedii imar 5, 914; Seria1 No.810, 346. w

thumb were merely resting against the neck. 1

The plate'Ais preferably arched, as plainly indicatedin Figs. 2' and 3, and the rear edge fits Iagainst thefront end of the body '13 while the inner side of the plate A reaches jonto the-corresponding side of the neck C 1 so that the thumb can readily slip from unnormal position on the neck C.. a In order to secure the plate A in the'position described, use is made of a transverse I bar 1) extending integrally from the top of; the plate A at the inner end thereof to then pass under the finger board E to the' other sideofthe neck, and the bar at thisend is and 5, theplate A forming "the thumb rest if is provided onthe top with an angular memher I adapted torest on the topof-thebody -B of :the violin, and the lower end ofthe said member'I is provided with a threaded end I on: which screws a nut J in; which iscrews a rod K having'an angular clamping member K- adapted-to engage the under side of the body B. The threaded parts I" and K have their threads running in-oppo- "site directions so that when the nut 'J- is turned in one direction the clamping memothers I" and K firmly, engage the top and bottom of the body B tosecurely fasten the plate A in position at the, front" end of the body B'adjacent toone side of'the' neck C.

From the foregoing description of the .various parts of the device the operation thereof may be readily understood. When the musician isplaying'in some of the upper positions, more especially in the fifth position, it is necessary to-bring the thumb out from under the neck in order that the I fingers may reach over the strings,especially a when playing upon the upper portions of the G and Dstrings near the upper. end of thefinger board. The thumb, when playing.

in these upper positions, liesjust beneath the plateA so that the violin canibe partially supported on the thumb, thusfgiving] the fingers free play. Furthermore, since thejp'late forms a stop memberthe fingers maybe brought down with greaterfforce than can be exerted when the plate A is'not present! It-may bestated; further that the length of the fingers of 'difl'erentlper'sons" varies and thatfora person 'whosegfingers are short this 'd'evie isffiseful infthatit' pen 5 inits the shifting of thethumb away from the *neck "entirely so th'at the'handcan be held farther over the fin-ger board and thus 'persons with short fingers may readily reach the upper positions 1 I Fromthe foregoing itivill be understood that I do not limit-myself to'the particular fastening means employed forfastening the thnmbrestA or A in positionon the" violin,

I I but; it ,is "of the ntmost importance, that the 'thumb restA belocateclat the point mentimed to accomplish the desired result. :Havifi'gwthus "described my invention, I (:laim' as new'an :desi'reyto secure by :Let-

' ters'P a tent: c

' 1' :qlnIn combination lnusical- 'instriimen-t ha'ving a njeclqr'aisrthnnibkrestfin the i iformof arplate;"and-meansfor fastening the Said; thtimb rest :to .the {instrument in con- {tact with the forward and of -the'-'instrument' and p'roje'oting-laterally'from one sidewofpthe, "neck thereof,- the. inner'iside of then-rest being.

contiguous to the. adjacent-side of the neck 5 t0 1 allow '{th ith'umbfof the f ngering hand-of the player toj'readily' from under the- 0, neck to the under side of the said: nest. and

i fromthe latter 'backontothefieckfi v 2 111combinationwith a musical instru infent 'havingz'aj neck; a thumb-rest, means for y fa'stenihg the-'saidwthuinbarest to the 'iiistrii- I mentiatthe' forward end of the instrument *bo'ay an d to one 'sideof the neck of thekin- --f astening'rnieanscomprising altransvei se'ibar "extendingifrom :the top of thep'late river the I -top 0f the body 'aiid under the fingerboard,

the "bar'terminating' in; fan angular offset,

'screWs in the? said f'oflset'; and :a clamping late' engaged by'tlie said screws a nd pressed [against the'corresponding' side of the neck.

' one side of; theneeklof the instrumenti and board if shapedfibar, dne'en'd-ifofsaid U;

f itj s t ther o fro h c r'v P18 g 5. Iii] combination with :a music l instr prnent, aving a neck, a laterally 'p'r y' Shaving necks, comprising a curved '{pl having an ;angnlar meinber projecting :means coacting with'xthe angular meinb 3-. The combination with a musical instruinenthavinga neck, of a laterally extending plate curvedto fit'the thumb, said plate be:

'ath'the forward end er. thefb'ody and to one side of the neck'of the instrument, and means. extending underneath the Tfin'gei' board for sec ringsaid plate in position. "'4; The ornbi'nationwith amusical instrue ment having a neck, of alaterally extending plate curvedto fit the thn'in'b, said platefbeing at the forward ehd of the-body andto;

means I extending fundeineat the.

being integ'mily q gnnected with sa d hp and the othereiido'f the'U-shapedfbafi ,proy'i'dd withfineans "for fastening i I to the neck'o'f t he in'striinientbnthebp thumbi frest inthe form of a curved zp aid rest being disposed at the forward of the "bodytof the instrument, and fidntiii-g ions to one "side" of the neck thereof; and meansffdr securing saidl thiinib rest p0 tion. I

s. (A thumb "rest rbr' musical iiistni'me its top adjacent to one endfther'e'oij,"

the plate to secure :the said platejto an 1n tr nt "side (if: n bi 6115 $1 the neck at-the forivafdfend of the fiddy. f In testimonyfwheredf I hai e signed my name to this specification in; the presence of5 jtw-o subscribing Witnesses; I 

